Now is the time to Think Apprenticeships
Take a look below at the new financial incentives and see how Apprenticeships can help your company.
Business is tough. This year has brought additional pressure to businesses, so the Government has pledged financial incentives for businesses taking on new apprentices, to support them through Covid-19 recovery and create brilliant opportunities for apprentices.
Incentives
| Incentive Categories | Age of Apprentice |
| Employer Incentive | 16-18 (£1,000) |
| Employer Incentive – Care Leaver – EHCP | 19-24 (£3,000) |
| Learner Incentive / Bursary – Local Authority Care Leaver | 16-18 & 19-24 (£1,000) |
Future proof your workforce with Runshaw
Our Employer Relationships Team is ready to help you with every step of securing an apprentice or upskilling your existing workforce. From your initial contact with us all the way through to appointing an apprentice or signing up an existing member of your workforce, you will have one person who will be your single point of contact. Once your apprentice is in the post, our training team takes over as we begin to assess your apprentice against the apprenticeship standards – knowledge, skills, and behaviours. Again, there will just be one point of contact for you who will keep you regularly updated with their progress.
Upskilling your existing workforce
Access apprenticeships to develop your existing staff, boost productivity and reduce staff turnover. Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to support succession planning and the continued professional development of your staff.
Reasons to hire an Apprentice:
Hiring an apprentice is a productive and effective way to grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.
- 86% of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation
- 78% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve productivity
- 74% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve the quality of their product or service
Other benefits of working with apprentices include:
- you can adapt their training according to the needs of your business
- they’re motivated to learn new skills
- you can expand and upskill your workforce
*Statistics taken from National Apprenticeship Service.
How the Apprenticeship Programme is funded – Levy & Government Funding
The Levy, Standards, and everything in-between!
The first stage of the levy, began in May 2017, and only affects your business if it has a payroll of over £3 million. This involves paying 0.5% of payroll costs on a monthly basis after the deduction of a £15,000 allowance. The government then tops up the fund by 10%, and the funds can be used by to buy apprenticeship training through an approved provider whilst also allowing you to get more out of the fund than they put in.
Most businesses under the £3m marker will not pay the levy and if your business has less than 50 employees and are not part of a larger group of companies it will not have to make any contribution for apprentices aged 16 to 18, and just 5% for those over.
| Employer Size | Funding Source |
| Levy Paying Employer | Funded through levy |
| 50+ employees | Employer pays 5% towards the total cost |
| Less than 50 employees – apprentice 19+ | Employer pays 5% towards the total cost |
| Less than 50 employees – apprentice 16-18 | Programme is fully funded – no employer contribution. The apprentice must be 18 or under before the apprenticeship starts. |
The employer is responsible for paying the apprentice, at least the National Minimum Wage for apprentices. Click here for more information. The contract of employment is between the employer and the apprentice.
Off the Job
It is mandatory that all apprentices have time in their working week “off the job” to learn new skills, improve knowledge and work on their portfolio. For those who are on work-based learning programmes, time must be agreed with the line manager to meet the off the job requirements. For those on programmes that include college days, a large proportion of this will be covered for apprentices when they attend. Please note: most of our courses are work based learning programmes.
Further information and examples of off the job activities can be found here.
The Assessment – EPA
All Apprenticeship Programmes are known as “Standards”. At the end of the practical period of the apprenticeship the apprentice reaches gateway, at which point they are entered for an End Point Assessment (EPA), in agreement with the apprentice’s manager, mentor and trainer. The EPA is facilitated & carried out by an external organisation, the apprenticeship is complete once the EPA passed. The EPA will vary by programme, this will be outlined to you during the sign-up process and on an on-going basis by your designated trainer.
Contact us today! |
Call our Employer Relationships Team: 01772 643008Email us: apprenticeships@runshaw.ac.uk |
Are you ready to hire an apprentice or upskill your existing workforce?
1. Find the right type of apprenticeship training programme for your business
2. Contact our Employer Relationship Team on apprenticeships@runshaw.ac.uk or call 01772 643008 or complete the fields in the table below.
3. Work with us to advertise your apprenticeship opportunity
4. Interview your candidates and appoint!
Special Educational Needs (SEN) – Support
✅ An allocated Learning mentor ✅ Counselling services ✅ Independent Careers advice ✅ Employer SEN support guide
Hire an apprentice for your business
Are you persuaded that an Apprentice could benefit your business? If so, allow us to assist you in discovering the ideal candidate. Feel free to reach out to us today for a commitment-free conversation.
